Determining operating costs first requires two key decisions for any ready mix operation, namely target market and location. These are arguably the factors that will most influence the variable and fixed operating costs of your venture, as well as the hard and soft costs of creating a ready mix plant. For example, DOT spec work in Southern California is an entirely different enterprise than selling 5 sack concrete to your local pumping contractor for curb and gutter. Owner/operators will not need to purchase their own ready mix truck fleet to start, where on-site contractors typically will. High profile contracts require the highest quality aggregates, which come at a premium, or they may require lengthy and expensive laboratory testing to get approved. Read full article.